State reviews permit for proposed Switchback coal mine in McDowell County

Cornerstone Mining, LLC is asking state regulators to reissue WV NPDES Permit No. WV1030272 for the proposed Switchback Surface Mine, a coal operation planned about one-half mile southwest of Switchback in McDowell County’s Elkhorn District. The notice says the mine would use contour surface mining, highwall mining and auguring in the Pocahontas No. 6 seam, with treated stormwater discharged into unnamed tributaries of Elkhorn Creek.

That discharge matters because Elkhorn Creek feeds the Tug Fork River, placing the proposal in a watershed that reaches far beyond the mine site. The Department of Environmental Protection is also asking for information on private surface-water intakes used for human consumption downstream from the operation, a sign that regulators are checking who could be affected if the permit moves ahead.

Residents who want to object or support the permit have until May 14, 2026, to submit written comments or request a hearing. Any filing must go to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and must reference WV NPDES Permit No. WV1030272. Copies of the application, draft permit and fact sheet will be available at the DEP regional office in Fayetteville.

The permit request comes as Cornerstone continues to move through a dense permitting trail in southern West Virginia. A February 12 notice said the company had a permit on file for surface mining of about 335.97 acres. A September 9, 2025, notice said Cornerstone sought renewal of Article 3 Permit No. S300315 for about 649.69 acres. A September 14, 2021, notice said the company sought to amend a previously approved 967.37-acre surface mine permit and add 224.31 acres, bringing that project to 1,191.68 acres.

Cornerstone Mining, LLC was formed in April 2018 and lists Princeton as its home base. For McDowell County, the geography is familiar and sensitive. Elkhorn, one of the county’s earliest coal camps, dates to 1888, when the railroad reached the Elkhorn Creek valley. The county is still wrestling with drinking-water problems, including bottled-water costs and major system repairs that Appalachian Voices reported in April 2024, which helps explain why any new mine discharge near local streams is likely to draw close scrutiny. West Virginia DEP says the individual WV/NPDES permit process can take up to six months, with a draft permit, public comment period and the chance to request a hearing before any final decision.